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"First Rack" ES-345's

marshall1987

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
3,278
That '59 ES-345 is just about as nice as they get! What a beautiful instrument. I'll bet it plays and sounds fantastic. Congratulations. :salude
 

OKGuitar

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
938
We should start a list of all these first racks with FON/SN. :salude
Already done that. I have perhaps 20-25 logged that I've owned or that have been sent by readers. That includes the "mysterious" black 335 that came out of an early 345 rack. I will post that section of my database on my site over the weekend. There are a number of variations among these "first rack" 345's. Some have the chokes wax potted, some don't. Many have zebras or double whites and a few have reverse zebras. All have the "short leg" PAF in the bridge. All have the small rout for the chokes. Most, but not all, have the humongous neck profile. Most are sunburst. No red ones. There are at least 2 black first racks, at least 3 blondes and an Argentine Grey. The quintessential "burst killer".
 

CDaughtry

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner and Moderator
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
12,646
Someone should start a thread on here. It would be fun and informative, and we all love looking at those beauties!:dude:
 

GuitarMikey

Active member
Joined
Mar 1, 2013
Messages
910
If someone starts it, I'll be glad to submit my photos, serial and FON.
Charlie might be the best candidate :hmm
 

treyrab

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
57
Thanks Charlie for the blog post on your site with the First Rack database and info!
 

OKGuitar

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
938
Considering each rack is usually 35 guitars and there are three racks that have the "first rack" characteristics, there are over 100 of them out there somewhere. My database is a good start at 24 guitars but where are the rest of them? Under a bed? In a closet? At Grandma's house in the basement since Grandpa died in '86? Let's see how many more we can turn up. Send me (or post) yours if it isn't already in my database. All I need to know is the FON, finish color and serial. The other information (wax potting or not, neck profile, tailpiece, bobbin colors, condition, etc) is optional. The first rack database is posted in my site. If you have one and it isn't listed, please send me your information. No names will be posted.
 

treyrab

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
57
Considering each rack is usually 35 guitars and there are three racks that have the "first rack" characteristics, there are over 100 of them out there somewhere.

Hi Charlie - Do all racks include the same model (i.e., would all (or most) of the 35 in a rack be 345s)? Just thinking out-loud, but if only 478 ES-345s shipped in '59 (at least per the shipping totals), 100+ in April '59 alone seems high.
 

OKGuitar

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
938
They were usually the same guitar model within a rack. Yes, 100 345's in April would seem high except that the ship dates were spread out over a much longer period. My database shows first rack 345's were shipped well into June and possibly much later seeing as I only show about a quarter of the first three racks in my database. The next 345 rack in my database didn't ship until August. So, if the first 3 racks (105 guitars) lasted 3 to 4 months, it starts making sense. Assume only a few were shipped before April and 105 were shipped from April to, say, the end of July, then another 375 0r so were shipped from August to December or approximately 10 more racks. There were definitely more 345's shipped late in the year judging by the large number of late 59's that show up on the market (gold VT ring). My database contains around 200 guitars from 58-60. I show 13 racks that were built after the first three. That would be 455 guitars which when added to the 105 from the first three racks add up to 560 guitars, That's about 85 more than were shipped in 59. There are a fair number of 59 FON 345's with 60 serial numbers and 85 of them would not be out of the question.
 

RAB

Active member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
2,122
I'm reviving this old thread, as I just came across it. I have a '59 es-345 with serial number is A29823, and FON is T7443. This is definitely an early one, as the build apparently started in '58, and it's an early serial number. Great sounding guitar with a fat neck and hot pickups. Question: I understand the tops are thinner on these, and wondering if people agree that this contributes to a more acoustic tone than the later 345's or 335's. I've always found my guitar to be more "hollow" sounding than many of the other old 335's I've played, many of which responded much like Les Pauls.


Yes, I think the thin top of these early 345s is a significant component of their fabulous tone! And, HOT PAFs! :peace2
 

emilP

New member
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Messages
2
Hello !
Could someone do know from wich badge came my 345 stereo from 1959?
A310072
Fon :S608 3 (followed by an 1 ?)
Pictures of my PAF's are on my computer,not from an URL site.So,I cannot send pics
Many thanks
emilP
 

Steve Craw

Formerly Lefty Elmo
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
5,295
I love the ES=345, and finally got one in June. Two questions: how are the ledger pages that I see here (and elsewhere) obtained? My 345 is from 1964, and was built with a personalized fingerboard, AND it's a lefty. I'd love to see the date of it's entry, and if it was listed in any unusual way.
Also, what happen to Tom H's site?
 

OKGuitar

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Messages
938
Hello !
Could someone do know from wich badge came my 345 stereo from 1959?
A310072
Fon :S608 3 (followed by an 1 ?)
Pictures of my PAF's are on my computer,not from an URL site.So,I cannot send pics
Many thanks
emilP
Rack numbers went to 9999 and then started again at (supposedly) 100. Rack S608 is well after the first racks S8537-39. I have S608-20 in my database which has SN
A31125. Those guitars shipped around September 1st give or take a week or two. Rack S609 was also 345's. S606 was 355's.
 
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